After the Bib Progress Report: 200 Points
Required: each response should run at least 3-5 sentences.
1. Your literature review analyzes the three most important topics you’ve identified in your research/bib. After reading your first seven sources, what important topics have been most often discussed by the authors? For example, a main topic in the conversation on Systemic Racism might be causes of systemic racism, another might be consequences of systemic racism, and another might be specific solutions intended to address the problem. Identify three potential topics of review now explain why you think these three topics are important.
2. The required background and definitions paragraph in your literature review brings your
reader up to speed on anything they must know in order to understand your topics of review. How well do you understand the history and definitions of your key topics? How far back do you need to research in order to understand your topics sufficiently in their present state? What important terms, ideas, or concepts should you define for your readers so they can understand your essay’s topic paragraphs?
3. What important divergences have you found? Convergence and divergence refer to how experts in an academic conversation agree or disagree on a topic, often in subtle, non-binary ways. For example, maybe two authors converge by agreeing that an environmental project is a good idea, but then diverge by disagreeing about the key objectives for the project. One author may argue for a new bridge while another may argue for the bridge’s restoration. That’s a divergence.
4. In the essays and articles you’ve read, what sorts of problems have you found in the
literature? Noticing problems leads to strong research questions and developing effective topics and arguments. Problems include:
a. Gaps in the research (e.g., researchers may not have studied a subject like clean nuclear energy, assuming that it’s impossible this is a “gap” in the conversation;
b. Problematic definitions, assumptions, ideologies;
c. Inconsistencies in theory and findings;
d. Or areas and issues that call for future study.